About Richard Myer

Richard is a friend at my parish in the Atlanta area.

Meditation: first sin

Meditation First Sin

Guest contributor:   Richard Myer

Prepare yourself before entering into conversation with our Lord. Breath slowly, close your eyes and relax. Empty your mind of the world and all its noise. Place yourself in the presence of God. Enjoy the quiet and gentle spirit of the Lord; relax in his peace, feel the peace of the Holy Spirit come upon you. Allow the warmth to spread through you. Remember he is listening always, especially today, as Lent is the season of penance and spiritual renewal. Feel God’s presence as he looks upon you.

I try to remember my first breath of air, drink of milk, the first bite of solid food, my first steps, or later in life the first time going to the movie theatre, or riding my bicycle or any other firsts. Not being able to remember any of the aforementioned, as they became so numerous, my first sin I cannot, as sin too has become abundant. Through life these all became so frequent I have lost count, lost memory of the first time I drank, ate, took my first steps, and the first sin I committed. Have I always given thanks, have I always trusted, in you my God? Do I complain, find fault, argue, and carry a grudge against others? Have I hurt others throughout time, as I had the evil inclinations to acquire earthly treasures? Have I spoke unkindly about people when they were not present? Have I been angry with myself, others or you my God? Have I not taken care of my body, as Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, that you are not your own?” Have I judged others, failed to forgive others, or stolen from others? Have I desired worldly things with such intensity, I attempted to worship two masters? Have I lied or exaggerated, tried to make others see things differently from the way they really were? Did I abstain from fleshly lusts, or indulge in any lustful activity? Have I been a hypocrite or full of lawlessness? Have I become a stumbling block for the weak by not following the example of Christ? Have any of these sins been my first, or can it be another? My God the sins I have committed have become so numerous I know not which might have been my first. My sins, through my thoughts, desires, deeds, words and actions have spread to others. What example am I showing others? Do I want my friends, family, or acquaintances to follow in these footsteps? Do I want them to become enslaved to the devil? I have become unclean as my sins have soiled my soul; my soul has become stained with sin. When did I first commit a sin?

Lord I have ignored your presence, looking only for self gratification. Sin has weakened me, and has made me more inclined to sin. I am dominated by sin more and more each day. I became a hearer of the word and not a doer, for I was like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looks like (James 1:24). My faith was dead as there were no works.

My wealth will rot away, my gold and silver corrode, my clothes become moth eaten, and these treasures are no longer of value. Why didn’t I see the treasures you have given me; the treasures that will be with me through eternity? Why then have I sinned?

Sin is infinitely wicked against what is infinitely good. My dear God, please forgive me, give me guidance, make known your ways to me Lord, guide me, and wash away my guilt so my afflictions will disappear. As I confess my faults, please take away the guilt of my sin. You have been so good to me, choosing me to have life, placing me in a good loving family, and providing for all my needs. You have given me the Sacraments, as I let the fruits of these wither, like weeds pulled from the dirt laying in the hot sun. As you are continuously running after me to save me, I run the other way. For as long as I kept silent, my bones wasted away. Please God, help me rise from my sins with the grace you have bestowed upon me through the sacraments, which have derived their power from your son.

I detest all my sins because they have offended you. Without you I can do nothing, teach me to find a new life through penance. Awaken me my Lord, as I beg for your forgiveness, as I have sinned against you, and my brothers and sisters. My sins are more numerous then the sands of the sea. My God that is good and deserving of all my love, I am truly sorry for having offended thee, I beg for thy mercy and forgiveness.

Lord please remember my first sacrament, Baptism, for your forgiveness of sin. It unites us with your son, Christ our Lord who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit. Remember this has not abolished the frailty and weakness of human nature, nor the inclination to sin. With your grace and the help of your son, Christ our Lord, may sin no longer be an obstacle, hindering my entrance in to your heavenly kingdom. Remember Lord, the blood of your son, our Lord Jesus washed away our sins. May I live my life as an example of your son, and the Saints that have gone before me? I can never do enough to make up for the serious faults I committed. Please allow the light of your healing presence to shine into the deepest recesses of my being, cleansing, healing, refreshing and renewing me. Please, may I accept the full forgiveness that you offer me continually.

You have been patiently waiting for this moment. The sins I have committed appeared so small, yet they are now like mountains. I must struggle each day to climb over these mountains. Please Father take my hand, instill courage in my heart, and lead me over the mountain which I have created. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and amend my life. Send your spirit to make me strong in faith and active in good works. Give me the grace to rise above my human weaknesses.

Please remember your Saint Augustine, whom for many years lived a sinful life. May Paul’s letter to the Romans, where Paul says to stop living an immoral life and live in imitation of Jesus, (chapter 13) have the same affect on me as it did for Saint Augustine? May I also begin a new life? May it not be too late that I have loved you.

I pray to Saint Joseph to help strengthen me in my spiritual growth. Saint Joseph, we bless the Lord for choosing you to be the one to raise the Son of God. You loved Jesus with a father’s love and he loved you with the love of a son. You held him in your arms and helped him take his first steps. You heard his first words and taught him his prayers. By faith you adored in him the Incarnate Son of God, while he obeyed you, served you, and listened to you. You held pleasant conversations with him, shared work, great sufferings and most tender consolations. Obtain for me the grace never to offend Jesus by sin. Pray for me that I may nourish myself often at the Eucharist and experience Jesus’ mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through your prayers may we attain to a great intimacy with Jesus and a tender strong love for him while on earth, that we might possess him forever in Heaven. Saint Anthony, I seek your intercession. With heartfelt sorrow for my sins, and trust in your prayers to God for me, I ask your help, your protection, your counsel, and your blessing. Obtain for me from God all the Graces necessary for my spiritual welfare and the particular favor I ask at this time. Give me strength to have only good desires and sin no more. Help me acquire the treasures of our Father’s heavenly kingdom. Heavenly Father, during this time of Lent, as we remember the passion of your son, I seek your help that I may imitate Christ your son and share his love with someone in need. Help me to pass from my old life of sin to the new life of grace.

Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Blessed Virgin Mary, please intercede on my behalf, that I may no longer offend thy son with sin.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to
the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is
Now, and ever shall be, world
without end.
Amen.

Meditation: our creation

Meditation Our Creation

Guest contributor:   Richard Myer

Close your eyes, sit straight, and relax. Empty your mind of the world and of all its noise. Enjoy the quiet and gentle spirit of the Lord, relax in his Peace.

Place yourself in the presence of God, and feel his peace as you look down upon the earth in all its beauty. Take a moment to enjoy the light of the Lord as it filters through you, knowing he will never leave you, his love for you is without limits or conditions.

Ask for inspiration as there is nothing that you do or don’t do that can separate you from his presence. Think about your struggles, and feelings of inadequacy. Little by little he will transform your weaknesses into strengths. Recognize that no matter how steep or treacherous the path before you, the safest place is by his side. Slow down and enjoy the journey in his presence. Affirm your trust in him. The knowledge of his loving presence will carry you through each day. Your thankfulness enables you to see the abundance he showers upon you. Your grateful heart will protect you from negative thinking. In everything give thanks, as this is his will for you. God will meet every one of your needs, with abundant sufficiency. He will never leave you or forsake you.

Where were you a short time ago, before your creation? Yes, the world really existed without you. The sun rose in all its beauty, and set in an orange and purple splendor. Waves would roll in off the ocean and splash upon the sandy seashore. The mountains stood tall and beautiful, the prairies stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun shown, the stars twinkled, the birds sang, the owls hooted. Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow; the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, in the service of each other. Being made in the image of God you possess the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. You are capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving of yourself and entering into communion with others. And you are called by grace to a covenant with your creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give.

God has given you existence from nothingness; he has created you, through his love and goodness. God infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created you to share in his own blessed life. Through him, he invites us to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in Heaven.

God has created you in perfect union with himself, capable of everlasting life. He has given you the ability to love your neighbor, yourself, your country and the earth which he created. We must be good stewards of the abundant resources we have been given. We strive to be good citizens, contributing to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. Every society’s judgments’ and conduct reflects a vision of man and his destiny. Allow the light of the gospel to shine upon us. Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us; help us take reasonable care of them, taking into the account of the needs of others and the common good of all.

Now humble yourself before God: Say from your heart: O Lord I am truly nothing before you. How did you have remembrance of me to create me? I was nothing yet you formed me and gave me life to share in your abundance of good. I was in ageless nothingness and would still be there if you had not drawn me out. Through Christ we can offer a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God has made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity.

Lord you have taken me in my nothingness to make me in your mercy what I am. I must always praise your holy name and give thanks for your immeasurable goodness. Take away our laziness so that the battle of prayer is that of humble, trusting, and persevering love. May we continue to pray without ceasing. May we persevere during our trials. Help us to remember to trust in you always. May we focus on you and find peace in your presence. Thank you God for my being.

Inhale the fragrance of your devotion throughout this evening. Let the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Pray that God strengthen us in our loving desires and push back the darkness, for he is the light of the world. Our Creator, Our Salvation, Our Light, Our Strength, and Our Joy.

Our Father who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

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